A female lawyer, Adaobi Nweke, her boyfriend, Emeka Nkemefola, 36; her mother, Mrs. Ngozi Nweke, 65, have been arrested for alleged illicit drug trafficking.
The suspects were arrested in a joint raid operation between operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency and men of the State Homeland Security in the State Capital.
Spokesman of the anti narcotic Agency, Femi Babafemi who confirmed this in a statement on Sunday alleged that 43-year-old Dike Okpara, who is a herbalist to the family, Chukwudi Abel, 33, member of the family; Amarachi Paul, 18, alongside another member of the family and their 22-year-old salesgirl, Blessing Jonathan were arrested around 11pm on Wednesday 14, February with the three suspects.
Members of the family, according to NDLEA investigation, had long been in the illicit drug business passed on to them by their now late father, Jonathan Nweke. Recovered from them as at the time of their arrest include various quantities of Cocaine, Heroin, Methamphetamine, Loud, Cannabis Sativa and precursor chemical with a total weight of 1.670kg as well as N578,400 monetary exhibit.
The NDLEA spokesman said operatives of the Agency, also thwarted attempt by a 25-year-old Uber driver, Joshua Henry to deliver a consignment of 26.2grams of Loud picked in Abuja to a customer in Keffi, Nasarawa State on Monday 12th February.
The alleged drug traffickers were nabbed during encounter with NDLEA operatives.
54-year-old Dada Adedara was on Wednesday 14th Feb arrested at Dan Bare area of Kano State with 468 blocks of cannabis weighing 246.4kg.
According, operatives in Ogun state arrested the duo of Kafayat Junaid and Sakirat Osoanu with 13kg cannabis sativa on same day.
Elsewhere inn Kogi State, a suspect, Charles Chike, 45, was arrested by NDLEA operatives in a hotel in Lokoja on Friday 16th February with 290 blocks of compressed cannabis weighing 116kg, according to the Agency.
It revealed that the exhibit was concealed in the boot of a blue Honda Accord car marked Abuja ABC 853 SL, which took off from Ekiti state enroute Abuja. Not less than 227kg of same substance was recovered from Atoshi camp, Emure -Ile, Owo LGA, Ondo State, while two suspects: John Jonathan and Emmanuel Alex were arrested.
In Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory, NDLEA operatives conducted raid operations in Kubwa area of the FCT during which they arrested Tawa Wasiu, 47, and Iliya Ibrahim, 18, with 10.5kg cannabis, 13.5 grams of diazepam and 2.9 grams of tramadol tablets.
NDLEA said another suspect, Yaro Bala, 27, was arrested on Thursday 15th Feb. with 50.5kg cannabis during a stop and search operation along Abaji/Abuja highway on his way from Auchi Edo State to Paiko, Niger State.
Meanwhile, operatives in Edo state acting on intelligence on Wednesday 14th February intercepted a consignment of methamphetamine coming from Onitsha, Anambra State to Lagos State.
NDLEA said the consignment was kept in a Toyota Sienna bus marked Anambra NZM 347 ZL. The meth consignment weighing 0.966kg was concealed inside a cassava made local food item, African salad popularly called “Abacha”.
On the same day, the driver of the vehicle, Afamefuna Ibeawuchi Kingsley, 42, was arrested in connection with the seizure. Also, team of NDLEA officers also intercepted a Peugeot 406 space wagon car driven by Akhere Fardam, 47 on Uromi road in Esan Northeast Local government Area of Edo State.
A search of the vehicle by NDLEA led to the recovery of 865 bottles of codeine; 2,600 pills of tramadol and 600 tabs of swinol and rohypnol.
Similarly, NDLEA operatives, also intercepted a large consignment of Loud, a synthetic strong strain of cannabis. The consignment was concealed in giant loudspeakers tucked in a consolidated cargo imported from New York, United States of America.
When the giant wooden boxes dressed as sound speakers seized by NDLEA officers at the NAHCO import shed of the Lagos airport, were opened, the sound boxes were stuffed with sixty (60) bags of the expensive but highly sought-after psychoactive substance, Loud, weighing 33.5 kilograms.
The NDLEA spokesman, Femi Babafemi who also confirmed the development in a statement on Sunday, said three suspects linked to the crime have been nabbed
He alleged that a freight agent Akeem Afeez; logistics Company Manager Babalola Ayodeji Gboyega and the receiver of the consignment Taiwo Olusegun Anuoluwapo are in NDLEA custody.
Babafemi said a follow-up operations between Thursday 15th and Friday 16th February 2024.
He said Afeez was arrested at the airport, Gboyega was nabbed at his office on Allen Avenue Ikeja while Taiwo was traced to his residence at 13 Ayo Babatunde Crescent, Lekki Phase1, Lagos, where he was picked on Friday.
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